Discipline Over Motivation

If you are familiar with this blog, you have likely seen me write about motivation and discipline. One of the more popular articles that I’ve written in recent years focused on how motivation was overrated. As I’ve said before, I believe discipline is far superior to motivation.Â Motivation comes and goes, while discipline is rooted in consistency.

Unfortunately, blog entries often get lost in the archives and are soon forgotten after they are written. With that in mind, I believe it is a good time to readdress the subject of motivation vs. discipline. Rather than writing about it again though, perhaps a verbal entry is a better way to deliver the message.

Have a listen below and feel free to share your own thoughts and comments on my Instagram page.

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7 comments:

Hey Ross, I have feedback for you. You write about grand themes like Discipline, false popular Beliefs etc. in a more broad generic way. Other successful Bloggers like Tim Ferriss got me by being hyperspecific. If you could write very specifically about things that keep you on the right track even when you Superman are down, that would be awesome, or how you manage to workout when you got to juggle,Kids, Business etc. Do you have specific strategies? Whats your selftalk? What do you do, when you are truly down other than just suck it up? I love that you prove popular Beliefs wrong, like we need aexpensive Equipment or a Membership or that we stop being beasts when we get old.

I appreciate the feedback Andre. With that said, unlike many bloggers, I coach athletes all day (and often at night). I don’t have time to be hyperspecific, nor do I believe it’s necessary. I’m not a fan of complicating things that don’t need to be complicated. Personally, I think many people get lost in the details (or looking for details that don’t matter).

I don’t have strategies or self talks that I use when things aren’t going well. I just get up and go. People have gotten too soft in today’s world. I’m a doer. Nothing fancy. I just put in the work and don’t make excuses.

I would agree with Ross. Ferriss is fantastic – he is really good at bringing in world class guests who have, as you say, very specific remedies to their problems.

Ross is rather unique in this. On the one hand, his “just do it” mantra seems cold and unhelpful, but it follows the spirit of this site – that you don’t need the bells and whistles to accomplish your goals. He has provided a plethora of homemade tools, philosophical videos, and stories of people who made the most of humble beginnings and made it very far. People who didn’t follow complex protocols but instead made the most of what they had.

I’ve also noticed that he purposefully omits his own workouts and routines – no doubt because others may copy it even though they lack the prerequisite strength. I think this further emphasizes that the specific means are trivial.

What Ross hammers over and over again is that there are many paths to success and that the only real price of admission is time if you’re willing to be resourceful.

I respectfully disagree with your post and hope that Ross continues the straightforward and simple style of his posts.

I reference the “Motivation is Overrated” post so often I’m surprised I don’t get banned from websites for posting it every time someone talks about a lack of motivation. It really helped me keep going this past year when when I’d come home from work on a training day, and feel exactly 0% motivated to get into the garage and starting going. “You don’t need to be motivated, you just need to do it” is what I’d tell myself and then I’d get to work.

Ross Iâ€™ve been introduced to your Instagram. I am a martial artist for the last 31 yrs and I agree with being disciplined. I have friends who watch boxing/mma/ Rocky 1-5 and constantly hear how thereâ€™re about to start training. As my knowledge of the arts increase every day/month/year I watch how my discipline surpasses their motivation. They now say that Dan your a beast. In the beginning when I stated that I was learning they would ask to see it. Now they say to everyone else and I say or show anything. Discipline far surpasses motivation.

YES! I tell people that all the time too. Motivation is so overrated. It’s about getting off your ass and doing it. Day after day after day. One needs to be eager for it, but at the same time, stoic in the face of adversity and victory. It’s not because you did well that you should spend much time patting yourself on the back or consider yourself accomplished, because there’s always more to do and you’ll never be the best if you find satisfaction easily. You don’t need confidence either. That’s an other overrated thing. Confidence doesn’t fucking matter. The only thing you need to know is that if you spend time on something, you’ll probably get better at it if you have semi-decent methods. There aren’t any excuses. Someone who complain they need motivation won’t make it far with that mentality. What one needs isn’t either motivation or confidence. It’s time. That’s it. Take the time to do what needs be done. If you don’t have it, make it. If you can’t make it, you’re in a shitty situation, and you need to find a way out of it if possible.